How do I revitalize a necrotized soul
To control vitality down to each scintilla
As my back becomes a pincushion for
Fraudulent friends
Ending amicable bonds
I want to trust again
But it’s hard to trust when one dons
A Carapace
I want to trust again…

This is the first track to my debut EP. I wrote this as a small freeform poem when I’ve spiraled over the thoughts of friends betraying me or when some other people derogate me in any way. Truth is, I don’t trust a lot of people out there. I want to lash out at everyone, but I’ve bottled it up so much that I’ve become numb sometimes. It’s not a happy poem by any stretch of the imagination, but at least I’m honest about this kind of stuff.

-Curtis

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Fri, 18 Nov 2016 23:40:39 +0000legendarybtrainhttps://legendarybtrain.wordpress.com/2016/11/18/going-home/Today, I will be going home for a whole week! I have taken my exams, completed my essays and now it’s time to take a week-long break. It feels good to finally get to see my friends, but most importantly my parents and siblings. I’ve missed these people so much and being able to finally see them feels good. I am currently on the bus now and I can’t wait ’til I am in New York City. See you in a week, Syracuse!
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:27:04 +0000hannahkarenbloghttps://hannahkarenblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/love-me-second/A man after the Lord.

I want a man who will love me second.
I want a man who loves Christ more than he loves me.
I want a man who will continually pursue God.
I want a man who will lead me to Christ.

In todays society it sounds strange to want to be loved second. I feel like a lot of young women are searching for a man to love them with their whole being, only them, one true love. And while all the chick flicks and love stories have a point, I want a man to love me second. It is great to feel loved, to be someones one and only. But you can still be someones only love and be loved second. We have this negative connotation around being “second”. Being second to Christ is not a punishment or a wrong in a relationship.

If they loved you with their whole being, what is left to give to Christ? If you worship a person, if they are your idol, you are doing something wrong. A boyfriend, a girlfriend, parents and friends should not be the one you worship. As Christians we are called to not love false idols.

I want a man who loves the Lord because in return he will know how to love me deeper. The love one has for Christ is unlike any other. As a women I have found it easier to say that “I love Jesus!” because I do, I love the relationship we have and the sacrifices he made for me. For men however, I notice they have a harder time saying the statement “I love Jesus!” While it could be many reasons, some think its abnormal as a male to say they love another male figure or the possibility men just don’t express their emotions as openly as women. Either of these could be the case. But imagine for a moment how amazing it would be if they stood strong and said “I love Jesus!” That is the man I want to be with. Unapologetically in love with the Lord. Authentically and fearlessly pursuing his relationship with Christ.

If a man is capable of such a strong love for the Lord, imagine the love that would overflow in your relationship. I want a man who prays for me and whats going on in my life. I want a man who will read the bible with me, not because its an obligation that I asked him to do but something he wants to do. God delivers and God has his own timing. Men who give it all to the Lord is someone who does not fret over the little things. Men who trust in Gods timing is intentional about where your relationship is going. Men

Love often surprises us. God opens doors that you thought were closed a long time ago. He shows you the meaning of love through a man after Him.

I want a man who goes to the Lord first, me second.
I want a man who gives praise to the Lord and showers me with that love.
I want a man who will love me second.I am second

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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:04:04 +0000pinktortihttps://pinktorti.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/nevernight/
​Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
The first novel in a trilogy, Nevernight, follows a young girl who had her whole family ripped away from her when she was merely ten years old. Six years have passed, and the girl, Mia, is traveling to attend the Red Church, which is basically a school for assassins. Mia hopes that, through the Red Church, she will avenge her family. But, of course, things don’t go as planned.
This is another book where I do not agree with my favorite reviewers! I honestly don’t know what’s happening. Why did they not like Nevernight? Their review states that the novels writing is too thick. I would agree that the writing is quite thick, but I’m a fan of deep descriptions so that didn’t deter me. I actually really enjoyed the writing. I’m probably going to have a hard time going back to Young Adult books after reading such complex writing, but I don’t regret it. Nevernight was a joy to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, Mia, and all of the supporting characters. Everyone was very interesting, with interesting flaws. There was also magic thrown in! It was like a New Adult version of Harry Potter. Mia had abilities that were super interesting, too.
My favorite part about this novel, though, is the fact that the author is not afraid to describe the ugly and mature. There is gore and adultish subjects that I believe add to the novels interest factor and really set it apart from other assassin novels.
I will warn those who are picking up Nevernight while thinking that it is a Young Adult novel that it definitely is not! There is explicit sexual content and, as stated before, the writing contains deep descriptions that could be hard to read for the young.
Therefore, even if you’re hesitant about reading Nevernight due to a trusty reviewers recommendation not to read it, I really recommend for you to rethink! This book is not afraid of the ugly part of things, and is like a breath of fresh air after reading simple things for too long!
☆☆☆☆☆
What did you guys think of the novel? Let me know in the comments below.
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:02:52 +0000legendarybtrainhttps://legendarybtrain.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/its-snowing/Today, I woke up feeling different. I didn’t know what it was, until I opened my eyes and realized that the city of Syracuse is covered in snow. I was in disbelief, it hadn’t snow all year long and on the last day of classes it decided to snow. After seeing the snow, I decided to stay in and not go to any classes. Although I’m used to the snow, I wasn’t ready for it yet and decided to not leave my dorm unless it was to eat at the dining hall. Hopefully, the snow will stop just in time for finals week as I have four exams to take.
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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:01:39 +0000Rituhttps://butismileanyway.com/2016/12/09/ritus-healthy-eating-week-18-icandothis/https://butismileanyway.com/2016/12/09/smoke-writephoto/
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:51:33 +0000Rituhttps://butismileanyway.com/2016/12/09/smoke-writephoto/https://urbangirlmag.com/2016/12/09/vote-for-your-favorite-new-show/
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:51:43 +0000Desireehttps://urbangirlmag.com/2016/12/09/vote-for-your-favorite-new-show/This fall we got some really good tv. I was relieved to realize I didn’t have to wait until January for Being Mary Jane to return to get some good tv. There was Atlanta, Insecure, Luke Cage, and Queen Sugar. Four black shows that were all well written and enjoyable to watch.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35)

Today we will look at the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. This Parable is also about the Kingdom of God but it is a view of the character of the people that will make up the Kingdom.

Jesus told the parable in response to a question that His disciple Peter had asked Him. “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21) Peter had probably thought that he was being very gracious towards his brother by being willing to forgive his brother up to seven times. According to the teaching of the Rabbis forgiving one three times was more than sufficient.

Jesus first answered Peter with a number of times for forgiveness that in reality is infinite. “Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22) The truth that Jesus is demonstrating is that we are to have a spirit of forgiveness that has no limits to the times we are willing to forgive. Jesus then reinforced His point by telling the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.

As we look at this Parable we see that a king had compassion on his servant and forgives a huge debt that he owed. (Matthew 18:23-27) The debt that the servant owed was 10,000 talents. A talent is around 6,000 denarii. A denarii is equal to one day’s wages meaning that this servant owed his master 60,000,000 denarii. If a day’s wage was 50.00 then the servant owed his master three billion dollars. This amount then is way far more than the servant could ever pay. But the king in his compassion for the servant forgave the debt owed to him entirely.

In Matthew 18:28-30 we see that the servant refused to forgive a petty debt of a fellow slave. The slave owed the servant one hundred denarii which would be about 5,000 dollars. The slave pleaded with the servant much in the same way as the servant did before the king. Yet, the servant refused to forgive the debt of the slave.

The king upon hearing the servant was not merciful towards the slave as he had been toward him imposes the former sentence upon the servant plus handed him over to the torturers.

Jesus then gives this warning to His disciples that if they are unwilling to forgive the debt of others as they have been given by the Father they in turn will be treated the same way as the unmerciful servant. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35) The lack of a willingness to forgive others who have transgressed against us will bring severe punishment from the Father. A sinner who has been forgiven should be willing to express the same love towards another and a willingness to forgive as they have been forgiven.

There are some interesting points that we must remember from this Parable. All of mankind is in debt to God and all our unable to repay that debt. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Our debt has been paid in full, past, present and future by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Only those who are willing to forgive others for their transgressions have the assurance that they are also forgiven. “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14-15) In truth it should be easy for us to forgive others as what we are in debt to God is infinitely more than what others owe us. Our unwillingness to forgive others can leave us destined to eternal punishment. “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.” (Matthew 18:34)

Another observation is that the Kingdom of God will be filled with people who are forgiven and willing to forgive. People who have received mercy and are merciful. “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossian Church gives us a hint as to how to develop a forgiving spirit. “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” (Colossians 3:12-13)

Forgiving is pleasing to the Lord but if we harbor the ill feeling have we really forgiven. Forgetting is a hard thing to do but it can be done with God’s help. Remember Joseph whose brothers sold him into slavery. Yet Joseph forgave his brothers and God made him forget. “Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” (Genesis 41:51) Paul gives the example of letting the past go and focusing on the future. “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) Both Joseph and Paul had plenty of evil committed against them but they forgave and they forgot the transgressions against them.

When we consider the love, mercy, and forgiveness that God has freely given us through His Son Jesus Christ then we should accept His forgiveness as a model for the forgiveness we should show towards others. This is essential for us to do as citizens of the Kingdom of God we are to have the attitude of mercy and forgiveness towards others. “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)

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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:26:07 +0000hashtagsandhangsbagshttps://hashtagsandhandbags.com/2016/12/09/popsugar-must-have/Happy Friday!! I am not one for monthly subscription boxes because after a while I feel they are pretty redundant. BUT this Popsugar Must Have x CFDA box is unlike any other subscription I have ever received. It does come with a hefty price tag of $225, but the contents in the box are worth up to $700! They had a deal on Gilt City for the box for $125 and I had a credit, so it was the perfect way for me to try this out!

Popsugar collaborated with the CFDA for this box and 50% of the proceeds went to supporting American Fashion! Fashion allows me and others to express our personality through our style. One of my favorite things about Fashion is individual style and how cultures affect the way we dress. The CFDA is a not-for-profit trade association that consists of more than 500 America’s womenswear, menswear, jewelry and accessories designers. They hold annual awards as well support the future of American Fashion. CFDA helps to develop emerging designers, with education, resources and scholarships. The United States is home to some of my favorite designers and headquartered to some of the biggest names in the game!

I am excited to wear this for my trip to Puerto Rico in February, but honestly I would never spend almost $200 on this coverup. I was really happy to get this as a gift in here and I had never heard of this brand before so thanks to Popsugar for introducing me to a new brand!

Made with nice leather and a perfect little makeup bag I can use to throw in my purse. Another item that I think is fantastic to have and the quality is great, but I wouldn’t jump to buy with the price tag attached.

This fragrance dry shampoo smells AMAZING! I have already used it three times since I received this box in the beginning of the week. The perfume smell is a little overwhelming at first, but it tones down pretty quickly and absorbs oil well.

This collection has 10 distinctive fragrances based on one street, 10 stories and 10 moments. I have been looking for a new perfume for a while, so its great to try a different scent everyday with this super adorable fragrance set!

This bottle was made exclusively for this collaboration. I purchased a black s’well bottle at a target over a month ago and I highly recommend purchasing one, it keeps your cold drinks really cold and warm drinks very hot. They are a proud sponsor and supporter of UNICEF and since 2015 they have donated over $200,000!

Overall I am super happy with the contents in this subscription box and can’t wait to see what comes in the next limited edition box! Thanks Popsugar and the CFDA! :) What’s your favorite monthly subscription box?

Popular news website The Huffington Post named a black woman as their new Editor in Chief.

Lydia Polgreen walked away from her position as the Associate Masthead Editor at the New York Times and as the Editorial Director of NYT Global to take on the position as the Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post.

This is truly a historical moment for the Huffington Post. Although the popular news site has Black Voices which is a branch of their site devoted reporting on the black community, the website’s Executive Editor, Liz Heron tweeted a photo of their writer’s meeting and it went viral. The photo was widely criticized by black twitter for not having a single black person in their writer’s meeting. The irony is they were posting it to make a point of how the majority of their writers happened to be women (no glass licencing here) but there seemed to be another form of discrimination taking place, perhaps racial.

It’s good to see that the Black Voices section of their website isn’t the only portion of the Huffington Post where black people can hold a high position.

Polgreen said this about The Huffington Post “The DNA of The Huffington Post is fundamentally progressive, but I think that has a really capacious meaning and comes to include so many of the things that motivated not just the people who were rah rah Bernie or who voted forHillary Clinton, but also many, many people in the United States who voted for Trump, who have fundamental concerns about the way the country is moving and the future,”.

Polgreen said the Huffington Post has an intolerable role to play in human history.

“When I say human history, I don’t take that lightly,” she said. “I think that just as there were moments when the Washington Post or The New York Times or the Times of London during World War II had a huge mission, we, too, have a huge mission. And that is to listen, to report, to tell stories, to seek out the stories and voices that aren’t being heard, even ones that might feel uncomfortable to us.”

She went on to say, “I just think that this group of people and this platform have so much to contribute to the betterment of humanity and to much greater journalism.”

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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:28:46 +0000Desireehttps://urbangirlmag.com/2016/12/09/a-panel-discussion-on-diversifying-the-tech-world-hosted-at-googles-headquarters-in-nyc/On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, Technology Powerhouse,Google, hosted an insightful discussion on technology and minority inclusion titled, “A Seat at the Table: Inclusion and Innovation in Technology & Society” at the New York Headquarters.

Spearheaded by Valeisha Butterfield-Jones (Head Of Black Community Engagement, Google) and Lauren Marquez (Head Of Latino Community Engagement,Google), this inaugural event drew out over 300 Black and Latino entry-mid level professionals to provide access by networking with Googlers, exchanging ideas, exploring employment opportunities and discussing the future of diversity in tech.

Many years ago, I was given a nutcracker which I still refer to as the nutcracker from Hell. It was in the shape of a soldier, like a traditional wood nutcracker doll type thing. His expression was one of “I am going to steal your soul and eat it with my nutcracking mouth mwahahaha,” and I hated it with a fiery passion. Also, I wasn’t entirely convinced that it wasn’t going to eat my soul, lol! Needless to say, when I moved house a little after Christmas that year, I didn’t take the nutcracker from Hell with me.

What’s the best gift (Christmas or otherwise) you’ve ever received?

One of my first contracts from Dreamspinner Press was around Christmas, and that was a wonderful way to start the holiday season, I was walking on air for quite a while after that!

If you could be granted one special gift for the world for the holiday season, what would it be?

Stability. With the political situation being uncertain in most of the world, I think that stability would give a lot of people peace and know where to go next in their lives. The whole not knowing causes a lot of stress and depression, and stability provides a great foundation to find one’s feet with a little more certainty.

Tell us a little about the favourite book you released this year?

That would be “Song of Song.” It’s my first foray into science fiction. I love reading scifi and watching it on TV and in movies, but I’ve never felt confident enough to try and write it myself for one very good reason—science is not my forte. But then something my beta reader, Cate Ashwood, said to me struck a chord. She suggested that it wasn’t really necessary to ground it in real world science, after all, it’s fiction. So go forth and invent. And once that idea took root in my brain, I wrote the book very quickly, as it almost wrote itself.

It’s the story of Dex, a genetically engineered human who is essentially a slave to mega corporations and his escape from that life with the help of his best friend, who is an A.I. cat named Manx. They end up on board the first fully sentient, organic spaceship built by Song, and Dex and Song move from a prickly relationship to one that is more loving and romantic, against a backdrop of interstellar conflict, megalomania and political upheaval.

I’ll definitely be adding that one to my holiday reading list! Share a favourite holiday photo.

This is a photo of myself and my father. It was taken in 1992, on Christmas day. Dad used to cook a full, French dinner for Christmas, as he was a trained Cordon Bleu chef. He passed away in 2014, and I miss him, but this photo is one of my favourite memories of good times… and amazing food.

That’s a lovely photo <3

Share a favourite holiday recipe.

This is a recipe that was given to me by my friend Claire. It’s for traditional gingerbread, as made in the 16th century. I’m making this as a palate cleanser for Christmas dinner this year, as it’s so delicious.

500gms honey

1kg breadcrumbs

3 tblsps ginger

2 tblsps cinnamon

3 tsps black pepper (or long pepper if you have any)

1 tsp ground cloves

Makes about 50 small pieces

Put the honey in a large saucepan and heat it gently, until it has become quite liquid. If any white stuff or foam floats to the surface, skim it off. Add the spices and stir evenly through. Add the breadcrumbs and mix until they are thoroughly combined. Depending on the nature of your honey you might need a bit more or less, but you want to add enough that the mixture has become quite difficult to stir, but such that there is still enough honey to thoroughly saturate all the crumbs.

Line a baking tray with baking paper, and pour the mixture onto the paper, pressing to compact it, and spread it out so it is about an inch thick. Leave to cool, and when it has set, cut into small squares (a knife dipped in hot water may help with this). To store, put in a sealed container (or wrap in baking paper, then plastic wrap) and keep in a cool, dark place.

What does 2017 hold for you on the writing front? What can your readers expect to see from you?

Hopefully, I’ll finish the duology m/m vampire romance books, which also hopefully will be picked up for publication. I also hope to finish a dystopian m/m romance that I started a little while ago but due to health issues haven’t gotten back to. And right now, I’ve got my NanoWriMo novel, which I hope to finish too. Hopefully all of these will be picked up for publication.

There are many people who aren’t as fortunate as me and this time of year is always a time where I reflect on how lucky I am. It’s a time for giving back and I do so by supporting my favourite charity (Twenty10who provide support for LGBT youth) financially and with their Christmas Hamper drive. Is there a favourite charity or not-for-profit organization you’d like to call out and raise the awareness of?

There are many charities I support, but I’ll try to limit it to a few. First, there’s Better World Books, who have an enormous amount of second hand books for sale, all proceeds go towards funding literacy programs around the world.

Blurb

It is the year 2275, and though some consider Earth a paradise, for most people on the planet or her outer-world colonies, it’s anything but.

Dex is a Boxie—a genetically engineered human created for the sole purpose of caring for wealthy bio-humans. His best and only friend is an AI cat named Manx, a secret Dex keeps from all around him. While he knows little about his sexuality, he’s attracted to Song.

Song designs ships that traverse deep space and has created the first fully sentient vessel called Fa’a. When he hears of a plot to capture Fa’a for nefarious purposes, Song flees Earth with a small band of misfits. Meanwhile, Dex’s fear of losing Manx drives him to take the cat and escape on a transport.

Song and Dex are brought together by chance. Just as their relationship blossoms from cautious and shy to romantic and erotic, new dangers threaten to destroy not only their love but also Fa’a, their friends, Manx, and all they care about.

L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She enjoys music, languages, TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching. L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica. L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.

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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 14:58:11 +0000Leigh Taylorhttps://helloitsleigh.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/the-fundamentals-of-caring/(NOTE: I originally wrote this months back, hence the summer break references, etc. I just really liked this post and didn’t want to let it go to waste. Enjoy!)

—

There’s no greater bliss than kicking back and scrolling through Netflix in pursuit of the latest and greatest release. Well, there most probably is but let’s pretend I haven’t developed the Girl-Who’s-Been-On-Summer-Break-For-Way-Too-Long Syndrome. I may have just made that up, but I digress.

Amidst my scrolling, I stumbled across an indie flick starring Craig Roberts (there’s only one Rio Wellard, amirite?) and Paul Rudd (Crap Bag, anyone? Ok, this is annoying). To top off the bill was Selena Gomez, former Disney Queen and the voice behind songs that have to be sassily crooned. Can’t keep my hands to myself…. IMEANICOULDBUTWHYWOULDIWANTTO. What time is it?

The movie follows a young man named Trevor, played by Roberts. Trevor suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). By happenstance I had previously become familiarised with this heartbreaking disease involving the gradual degradation of the muscles, leading to loss of mobility and becoming wheelchair bound at approximately adolescence. I watch a young family on YouTube with a toddler recently diagnosed. So this gave me some degree of understanding and context into what this entailed for Trevor (albeit, and thankfully, not in such a way that affects my own life). A down-on-his-luck man named Ben (Rudd) is hired as Trevor’s new carer. He carries no experience of the job and had just completed a short program which would allow him to do so. It takes a while for the two to gel, but they come to realise they share a sense of humour. Trevor has a wish to visit American roadside attractions but is reluctant due to his condition. Ben is on board and prepares them for the trip, where they meet and befriend hitchhiking Dot (Gomez), who becomes Trevor’s love interest, and heavily pregnant Peaches (Megan Ferguson).

I definitely expected this movie to be a weepy, waiting for the moment where something tragic happens that I won’t be able to stop thinking about for 3 days. The premise does bear a striking resemblance to the recent cinematic tear fest Me Before You. However, the execution of the two is completely different. TFOC is a refreshing and surprisingly uplifting take on a heavy subject matter. It is organically funny without being pretentious. It is optimistic while still acknowledging the reality of a life-limiting disease. It reflects themes of hope, friendship and strength. It doesn’t rely on saturated sentimentality and tear jerking cliches to drive its point across. This movie is what it is. Simplistic yet powerful in its message. The message that life can still be enjoyed and worth living. I found it particularly poignant that the theme of death and decay wasn’t dwelled on too much and instead more focus was placed on life and the journeys we all embark on.

I throughly enjoyed this movie and would definitely watch it again. The acting from this talented cast was stellar with a surprisingly fantastic chemistry among them.

As 2016 draws to a close, I wanted to reach out to our membership and wish you all the best in 2017. Your ARMA SWO Board has been working hard to plan some exciting educational and networking opportunities for 2017.

One of the ideas we’ve been toying with is having smaller networking meetings in more of the locations where our membership reside. Because our chapter covers a large geographic area, sometimes it is hard for members to travel to events. If you are interested in having one of these events in your location, please let us know at armaswo@gmail.com. These could be as simple as a networking get together or more formal with a guest speaker.

This year, ARMA Canada is holding its conference in Toronto. The dates are May 29-31 with an opening reception on the 28th. Since we want to support ARMA Canada and ARMA Toronto, we will not be holding an Information Summit this spring. We do, however, hope to bring one to you in the fall of 2017. Stay tuned!

As always, we love to hear from our membership. The board is made up of enthusiastic volunteers who are passionate about supporting the network of records and information management professionals in Southwestern Ontario. We love what we do, and we welcome your input and participation. If you’re curious about becoming a board member, send us a note at armaswo@gmail.com and one of us will connect with you.

After adding support for offline videos in YouTube, similar additions in Chrome are Google’s next steps for its mobile platforms. The latest update will bring the ability to download webpages for later access, as well as a built-in Download Manager, lower memory usage and web-sharing features.

The download feature was first made available in the Chrome S5 Beta program, before arriving for everyone. The S5 update has already been released for the desktop version.

To download a webpage, you only must press a new download option, which is present at the top when you press the three dots on the side. Not only webpages, but also HTML5 videos and audios can be downloaded unless the site uses custom controls or the content is part of a stream. The content remains available offline for as long as you want, until you delete it yourself.

These changes come as a part of the new Download Manager built into Chrome for the first time, which is a move away from the conventional Android download manager.

There are new performance enhancements, as well. JavaScript is handled more efficiently, resulting in a 50-percent drop in RAM usage, followed by a feature which frees up unused zones in script after the page has loaded.

Lastly, there’s a new Web Share API, which allows webpages to instantly share content with the apps installed on your phone. There are improvements in Search and spell-checking software, as well.

Expect to see the update in an action through a rollout in the near future.

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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:41:05 +0000Jessica Norriehttps://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/how-well-do-you-know-your-characters/An author of fiction must inhabit the world of their characters convincingly. But how far may they travel from their own experience to do so?

Clearly, authors of fantasy and science fiction have the most leeway. Nobody can know what it’s really like to be an imaginary creature, an alien or someone/something from the future. Authors of historical novels must make an imaginative leap fuelled by as much accurate research as possible. But how about those of us writing contemporary fiction? Can men write as women, gay people as heterosexuals, white people as Asians or Africans, the British as Poles or able bodied writers as those with a disability? Can Ian McKewan write as an unborn child? (Of course that is an experience we’ve all had, and it seems from the reviews that he can.)

A fellow author recently posted in an online forum that she had been taken to task in an Amazon review thus: “You are unbelievable as an adolescent black girl from the South“. It’s one of only 2 poor reviews out of 66 excellent ones for a prize winning book that involved many years of research, but it concerned her. It’s clear from her Amazon page and other reviews that she had thought deeply about her right to tell the story, but the reviewer’s complaint worried me too, as I’m currently writing my second novel set in East London (UK). It would hardly reflect the location if I didn’t include many different ethnicities, so I have to speak in their voices. Previously, in The Infinity Pool, I didn’t find the voice of young girl from a rural Mediterranean community a problem and no one (yet) has suggested I’ve got it wrong.. But are a Punjabi grandmother who grew up in India, a Hong Kong Chinese father and a Somali single mother who came to the UK as a toddler steps too far for this middle class, solvent white woman? Having taught in multicultural schools for 33 years, I thought I knew their user groups well, but now I’m stepping inside their homes and their heads, and there is a scary amount of scope for accidentally giving offence, misrepresenting or simply promulgating stereotypes. At times I think I’ll give up, but I have my story, and my teaching experience, and I don’t want to waste either of them.

In one area I looked at, I found at least two YA authors who’d overcome my reservations. Here’s a male author in the voice of a Somali girl who is about to be cut, and a white female author in the voice of one who manages to avoid it. Do they sound authentic? It would take a Somali woman to tell you, but the stories were vivid, compelling and exciting. Cutting is not a major theme in my novel, but in the course of checking assumptions about my own Somali character, I did background research and found UNICEF reports showing the almost universal prevalence of FGM in Somalia has only dropped by 2% in recent years despite all the efforts to oppose it. (In other countries campaigns have been more successful, as they have among Somali families in the UK.) I asked one such campaigner whether white western authors should attempt to speak in the voice of somebody whose experience is so far removed from their own. Her reply was that given the lack of success on the ground her colleagues now look to writing and journalism to change hearts and minds. Fiction may put the case where other means have failed. But of course, the fiction must be well written, well researched (and available, but that’s another story).

So why have doubts? Let’s consider these scenarios: men writing as women and vice versa; parents writing as childless adults and the other way round; adults writing as or for children; social drinkers writing as alcoholics, healthy people as invalids; vegetarians writing as meat eaters; humans (well obviously) writing as animals? Some of these sound ridiculous: of course writers should tackle such challenges. If we only write about ourselves, there would be even more navel gazing white dinner party novels than the indigestible number there already are. But may I, a solvent, educated white middle class woman write in the voice of a refugee on an overloaded boat somewhere off the coast of Greece? May I write in the voice of a prisoner despite a parking ticket being my biggest ever brush with authority, or in the voice of a doctor even though I failed chemistry O level? I think I’ve decided yes, if I write convincingly, do my research, avoid stereotypes and above all if those people are necessary to my story. (Although they could also be bystanders, mentioned just to acknowledge they exist, so the default model for fictional characters isn’t white, middle class, able bodied, hetero…) There, problem solved. I’ll get on with it.

But then I read The Good Immigrant, a collection of essays by BAME writers in the UK, recently featured on BBC Radio 4. This is timely, entertaining, angry and should be compulsory reading for…everyone. Do you get stopped at airports? Searched when waiting at a bus stop? Have you had a headscarf ripped from your head as you go to buy a sandwich? Won all the school prizes, graduated with first class honours, and still not been shortlisted for a job unless you change your name? Do you never see yourself reflected on a screen or in a book, or if you are, only as a stereotype (minicab driver, terrorist, arranged bride?) You probably know actors no longer “black up”” to play Othello nowadays, but did you know “yellowface” is still in common use? These writers are angry with reason. They want to be portrayed in all kinds of media, but they don’t want to be portrayed as stereotypes (I must take very good care) or with tokenism (I mustn’t use “namaste” as a shortcut to showing how well I understand people of Indian ethnic origin). Above all they want to be portrayed as everyday characters whose ethnicity is incidental and who do not have to win Olympic gold medals or have their skins lit like Beyoncé’s to be an acceptable part of UK society.

I saw what they meant about stereotypes and authenticity when I looked at the time scale for my novel. A digression will illustrate the point. I do not follow any religion (an idea the children I taught almost unanimously found appalling). But my family celebrate Christmas, in that we eat special food and drink a lot, buy presents, spend £35+ on a pot plant that we throw away two weeks later, and give more money to charity than at other times of year. Now imagine a novel with my family in it, set in December, that didn’t mention Christmas. Or imagine one that does, but gets fundamentals slightly wrong: Midnight Mass on Boxing Day, for example, or Father Christmas driving a sleigh pulled by ponies. These are the pitfalls I face if I write about “other”cultures – which I have been conditioned to think of as “other” even when I mean third, fourth generation “immigrants” who speak English better than I do. Mistakes that wouldn’t be noticed by some readers could well be offensive to others, and add to the pile of examples of “host country” ignorance. For that reason I’ve moved my six week long story to a year when it doesn’t fall during either the important Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha or the important Hindu festival of Diwali (and yes, I do know Eid moves around the year). That way it makes sense that I barely mention them AND I avoid the pitfalls of getting details wrong. Of course, much other daily background detail remains and must be researched and referred to, both in the sense that it’s the same as for the majority community and for where it differs. But what do I mean, majority community? The parents of over 90% of children I taught in East London ticked a box other than White UK on their entry forms, and among that 90% around 25 different languages were spoken. there was no clear majority.

What if I get something as fundamental as names wrong? Somali women do not take their husband’s surnames (although now, in the UK, some do). Bhangra is not the only music Sikhs enjoy (and maybe some Sikhs don’t). Hong Kong has rural areas as well as the twinkling skyscrapers we all associate with it. Is Gulab Jamun a Bengali sweet or a Gujarati one? (perhaps it’s both.) And the grandmother – what will her grandchildren call her?

Will every moment of every day be informed for my characters by their ethnicity? Here’s Bim Adewunmi In The Good Immigrant: “Here’s what black people do: we breathe air, we drink water and we fart noxious gasses, just like other people. Our hopes and dreams are similar, and alongside the various hardships we may suffer because of the way we look or where we come from, we largely do the same things – and that includes all the frivolous things too.” On the other hand will it not be? Himesh Patel writes: “In discovering so much about how my family arrived here in the UK, I discovered how rich their story is with the culture and traditions of their homeland, but at it’s core it’s a universal story about love and life.” In the shoes of my characters, would I be in fear of racism, or hate and despise it, or fight back against it, or not actually experience it much? There is one way I can respond. It’s true I’ve never experienced racism, but, having lived and travelled abroad, I have come across xenophobia – not so serious, but it may give an inkling. And there’s a better parallel. I am female, so I do know what it’s like to walk into a public social place and not see anyone else like me there (less so nowadays but that used to be true of all pubs and bars, and it was very intimidating). I do know how it feels to walk down a dark street and hear footsteps behind and think they may be those of an attacker. I have been on the receiving end of hatred and aggression, derision and disgust, purely because of the body I was born with.

And so I’m going to take the plunge, and write my Somali single mum, my Punjabi grandmother and my father born in Hong Kong. They will, after all, only be characters in fiction. They will not represent the entirety of their culture, any more than I represent the entirety of mine. The story is about family relationships and relationships with the school the children go to, before it’s about ethnicity. It’s just that – hooray! – I can’t write a London based story nowadays, with an all white cast, or even with a white majority. (I wonder what Dickens would have made of it?) I’ll give Himesh Patel the last word: “My heritage, while inherently linked to my ethnicity, only makes up part of the role I play in society – day to day I’m just another face in the multicultural population of twenty-first century Britain.”

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Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:42:54 +0000indiesearthhttps://indiesearth.wordpress.com/2016/11/30/thankful-for-the-weekend/As I write this I am currently sat at my desk at work. I have a massive pile of paperwork that needs doing and I’m procrastinating. I know I will get it done by 5pm but I just can’t bring myself to finish as constant interruptions make it difficult to just get through it all at once.

The phone keeps ringing. And every time it does I know its going to be another order for the weekend. Everyone is in the Christmas spirit, the holidays are approaching and all the shops want to have little parties this weekend. It always makes me wonder why they don’t plan ahead. But that’s beside the point.

The point is that with every phone call with weekend requests I feel grateful. Not because we have work, I don’t get paid on commission. No, because every new order that comes through means the boys down in the workhouse have an extra hour or two to work. They have to rush and prepare orders. They have to clean the equipment, deliver it all, set up and then pick it up.

Me? I take the call, process the order, communicate with the client and come 5pm I clock out and go home for the weekend. And for that I am thankful. I am thankful for the weekend.

It may not seem like much but it definitely puts things into perspective. Often I complain about having to work till 5pm while my friends at other jobs get off at 2, or finish at 4 but have ‘Champagne Fridays’ afterwards.

The boys in the warehouse don’t get off at 5pm. They may not even finish work before 2am. And then they get up on Saturday morning and start deliveries and pickups bright and early, sometimes even at 6am. And then guess what? The same thing on Sunday. And come Monday? They’re back at work.

They work in the cold (when its winter), they work in the heat (when its summer). They don’t have weekends. And during peak season? Sometimes they may only get 2-3 hours of sleep over the whole weekend. They get paid by the hour.

A lot of people live in a bubble. Where work is a 9-5 sort of thing. They have a little office, they complain about the amount of work they have, maybe they get on with their coworkers, maybe they don’t. How many people do you think, stop for a minute and consider what work means for other people?

For that other section of employed individuals. Not the ones you see in shops, or the ones who work in offices or at the banks. The ones that work behind the scenes, the ones that make things happen. Workers in a warehouse manufacturing equipment, truck drivers making deliveries. I’m not talking about third world countries. I’m talking about the industrial workforce.

The Christmas ads from this leading up-market department store have become a regular fixture in the UK and have prompted much social media discussion and ad sharing over the years.

The 2015 ad was watched by over 25 million people on YouTube in the last year. It’s one of the few ads on YouTube to ever rival the levels of Reach delivered from a major broadcast TV campaign in the UK. In comparison the Cadbury Gorilla TV ad took more than 8 years to achieve over 18 million views, and only achieved around 6 million in year one. Something TV buyers have used over the years to highlight how broadcast still commonly beats digital for the speed it builds Reach. But John Lewis have a formula and have applied it consistently and well.

So when the new ad breaks today, expect Adam & Eve DDB in London to dig out a forlorn soundtrack, probably sung about loss or isolation. This year something by Randy Crawford or Coldplay are popular bets among gamblers. Cue the child and the family. Perhaps throw in a cute animal or two. Reference the way gifts bring people together. It should work a treat. It has done for the last 7 years.

John Lewis are already on track for a bumper sales year, compared to performance over the last 3 years.

When you have a great formula, you simply need to reinterpret this annually, in order to build upon your distinctive success; creating a brand and cultural phenomenon. But in 2016, how much of the media exposure will rely on broadcast TV for this event? And will the formula change for change’s sake?